Apparatus for producing electrical conductors

ABSTRACT

Insulated wire stock is gripped at longitudinally spaced portions by a pair of clamp assemblies and cut in two by a wire and insulation cutting assembly between the clamp assemblies. The relatively adjacent ends of the cut wire are pulled apart by the clamp assemblies so as to strip the cut insulation therefrom and bring the stripped wire ends beyond a pair of terminal crimping assemblies at opposite sides of the cutting assembly. Reverse movement of the clamp assemblies then brings the stripped wire ends into the crimping assemblies, and after terminals have been attached to the stripped wire ends, the stock and severed wire length are released and reverse movement of the clamp assemblies is continued to bring them back to their starting positions. A wire transfer mechanism and slotted bracket collect successively cut off wire lengths to which terminals have been attached. Brushes suppress whipping of the moving wire stock.

atent 1 Gudmestad Uct.7,1975

[ APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS [75] Inventor: Ragnar Gudmestad, West Allis, Wis.

[22] Filed: May 22, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 472,491

[52] U.S. Cl 29/203 DT; 29/628 [51] Int. Cl. HOIR 43/04 [58] Field of Search 29/33 M, 203 R, 203 D,

29/203 DT, 203 DS, 628, 629, 630 R, 630 A, 427; 72/324; 113/119 3,497,938 3/1970 Wright 29/203 DT 3,505,720 4/1970 Heimbrock... 29/203 DT 3,641,649 2/1972 Busler et al... 29/203 D 3,672,025 6/1972 Gudmestad 29/203 DT Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerJames R. Duzan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James E. Nilles 57] ABSTRACT Insulated wire stock is gripped] at longitudinally spaced portions by a pair of clamp assemblies and cut in two by a wire and insulation cutting assembly between the clamp assemblies. The relatively adjacent ends of the cut wire are pulled apart by the clamp assemblies so as to strip the cut insulation therefrom and bring the stripped wire ends beyond a pair of terminal crimping assemblies at opposite sides of the cutting assembly. Reverse movement of the clamp assemblies then brings the stripped wire ends into the crimping assemblies, and after terminals have been attached to the stripped wire ends, the stock and severed wire length are released and reverse movement of the clamp assemblies is continued to bring them back to their starting positions. A wire transfer mechanism and slotted bracket collect successively cut off wire lengths to which terminals have been attached. Brushes suppress whipping of the moving wire stock.

16 Claims, 33 Drawing Figures HE Pawn Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of 15 3,90%9UG E E W W .[l

US. Pawn Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of 15 3,99,90U

US, Pawn Oct. 7,1975 Sheet4 of 15 3,9U9,0

U3 m Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 7 0f 15 3,999

FIG. 11

FIG. 11a

US. Pamm Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 8 of 15 3,90'9,900

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 9 0f 15 3,909,900

9 01 3 "mt .%m

US, Patent (M11975 Sheet 10 0H5 3,9099% US. Pamm Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 11 of 15 3,9U9,90

US. Pawn Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 13 of 15 3,909,900

U0 Patcnt 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 14 of 15 3,90,9U0

US. atem 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 15 of 15 3,909,900

om 6E omm owm 0mm oom 90mm omm owm omm 00m om. 09. 03 0Ex 02 om oo ow ow izWHS 'ABH l .LHVlS HNOO QNICBEH ZOFOZ OzEmEPm APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOIRS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the manufacture of electrical conductors from insulated flexible wire stock, and it is concerned more particularly with an apparatus which will automatically produce such conductors of any desired length and with a terminal attached to both or at least to one of their opposite ends.

Apparatus to accomplish this have heretofore been developed wherein insulated wire stock is gripped at longitudinally spaced portions by a pair of clamp assemblies and cut in two by a wire and insulation cutting assembly between the clamp assemblies. In such prior art apparatus, as shown for instance in my US. Pat. No.

3,672,025 issued on June 27, I972 for Terminal Ap- ,plicator, the relatively adjacent ends of the cut wire are pulled apart by the clamp assemblies so as to strip the cut insulation therefrom. A pair of terminal crimping assemblies are arranged at opposite sides of the wire and insulation cutting assembly and the stripping strokes of the clamp assemblies are continued until the stripped wire ends have been pulled into the crimping assemblies sufficient distances for attachment of open barrel terminals thereby by operation of the crimping SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved apparatus for producing electrical conductors which takes care of certain disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art, particularly with respect to the use of closed barrel terminals and with respect to different wire sizes, insulation thicknesses, and terminal types and sizes.

With this in view, the invention contemplates the provision of an apparatus of the mentioned character in which relatively adjacent ends of cut wire stock are pulled apart by a stripping stroke of sufficient length to move the stripped wire ends through and beyond a pair of terminal crimping assemblies, and in which reversal of the stripping strokes brings the stripped wire ends back into the crimping assemblies for attachment or either open barrel or closed barrel terminals thereto.

The invention further provides an improved apparatus of the mentioned character incorporating provisions for adjustment of its various operating components to accommodate different wire sizes, insulation thicknesses and terminal sizes.

The invention further provides an improved mechanism for collecting the produced conductors, and it also provides an improved wire stock feeding mechanism which will suppress whipping of the wire stock while it is being advanced into a set of feed rollers.

DRAWINGS The foregoing features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparatus as this disclosure proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational front view of a conductor manufacturing apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7a is an enlarged sectional detail view of a yieldable stop shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 shows a portion of FIG. 7 with parts moved to different positions of adjustment;

FIG. 9 shows a portion of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale with parts broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a terminal crimping plunger;

FIGS. 11 and 11a are partial views of a crimping assembly for a closed barrel terminal;

FIGS. 12 and 120 are partial views of a crimping assembly for an open barrel terminal;

FIG. 13 is a section on line l3l3 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 14 is a section on line l4l4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 15 is an end view of FIG. 14 with parts broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 16 is a section on line I6I6 of FIG. 15;

FIGS. 17 to 20 are diagrammatic views illustrating parts of FIG. 2 moved to different positions of adjustment;

FIG. 21 is a section on line 21-21 of FIG. 3 and includes a conductor collecting bracket omitted in FIG. 3 but shown in FIG. I;

FIGS. 2226 show parts of FIG. 2] moved to different positions of adjustment;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a conductor collecting bracket;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of wire steadying brush assembly; and

FIG. 30 is a timing chart of the machine operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Generally, the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 involves three wire processing components which are of principal interest in connection with the present invention; these are:

first, a pair of left and right wire clamping assemblies designated respectively by the reference numerals l and 2;

second, a central wire and. insulation cutting assem bly 3; and

third, a pair of left and right terminal crimping assemblies designated respectively by the reference numerals 4 and 5.

In addition to these wire proceeding components the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 incorporates a computerized wire measuring device 7 including a pair of encoding rollers 8; a wire feed mechanism including an upper pair of feed rollers 9 and I1, and a lower pair of feed rollers 12 and 13; a first set of wire steadying brushes 14 at the wire inlet side of the feed rollers 9 and 12; a second set of wire steadying brushes 16 between the upper feed roller 9, 11 and the lower feed rollers 12 and 13; a reciprocable wire guide tube 17; a belt type drive mechanism 18 for the guide tube 17; a finished conductor removal mechanism (FIGS. 21 through 26) which is located between the right wire clamping assembly 2 and the right terminal crimping assembly and a slotted bracket structure 19 for collecting finished conductors as will be explained more fully hereinbelow. All of these components are mounted on a bench type main frame 21 which also mounts electric driving motors and associated circuitry, not shown, for operating the apparatus. A control panel 22 for the electric circuitry is mounted in a housing 23 which, as shown in FIG. 1, also partly covers the processing assemblies 1-5 but which is omitted in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The Wire Clamping Assemblies As shown in FIG. 2, the left wire clamping assembly 1 comprises a wire clamping slide 24 which, as shown in FIG. 5, is guided for vertical up and down movement in a stationary bracket assembly 26 on the frame 21. At its lower end the slide 34 has an enlarged botton section 27 (FIG. 2), and a wire clamping block 28 is shiftably mounted on the bottom section 27 for horizontal and is shiftably mounted on the bottom section 27 for horizontal back and forth movement thereon. A complementary-wirer clamping block 29 below the clamp ing block 28 is shiftably mounted for horizontal back and forth movements of a guide bracket 31 which is secured in a vertically and horizontally fixed position on the frame 21. A vertical tie bar 32'is secured at its lower end to the'wire clamping block 29 and extends upwardly through a vertical guide passage in the block 28. The vertically reciprocable slide together with the horizontally slideable blocks 28, 29 and tie bar 32 form a reciprocable wire clamping assembly which is operatively mounted on the frame 21.

Actuating means for the wire clamping assembly 1 comprise two triple armed levers 33 (FIG. 4) and 34 (FIG. 5); link means connecting the lever 33 with the tie bar 32 of the wire clamping blocks 28, 29; and link means connecting the lever 34 with the vertically reciprocable slide 24. The levers 33 and 34 are rockably mounted on the frame 21 in axially aligned relation to each other, a supporting shaft 36 for these levers being mounted at its opposite end in walls 37 and 38 (FIG. 3) of the frame 21.

The link means which connect the triple armed actuating lever 33 with the tie bar 32 of the wire clamping blocks 28, 29 comprise a bell crank lever 39 (FIG. 2) which is pivoted on the bracket 26 of the frame 21 by means of a horizontal pivot pin 41 extending in right angle relation to the supporting shaft 36 for the actuating levers 33, 34. One end of the bell crank lever 39 is connected to the associated actuating lever 33 by a first link element 42, and the other end of the bell crank lever 39 is connected to the tie bar 32 by a second link element 43. Adjusting means are provided, as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the first link element 42 may be connected to its associated actuating lever 33 at different radial distances from the pivot center thereof, that is, from the axis of the shaft 36. Such adjusting means comprise a pivot pin 44 for the upper end of the link 42, and a threaded eye bolt 46 which is rotatable manually by a knurled knob 47 so as to move the pivot pin 44 sidewise back and forth in an elongated slot 48 of the actuating lever 33.

The link means which connect the triple armed lever 34 (FIG. 5) with the wire clamping slide 24 comprises a pair of telescopically interconnected link elements 46 and 50, and associated biasing means in the form of a coil spring 48 which resiliently opposes contraction of the link elements 46 and 50. A pivot pin 49 connects the link element 46 with the lever 34, and another pivot pin 51 connects the link element 50 with the clamping slide 24. Expansion of the telescopically interconnected link elements 46 and 50 under the pressure of the spring 48 is limited by a lost motion connection comprising a crosspin 52 on thelink element 50 and an oblong slot 53 (FIG. 2) in the link element 46.

The right wire clamping assembly 2 (FIG. 1) is an opposite hand duplicate of the left wire clamping assembly 1, and the reference numerals which in FIGS. 2 and 3 are applied to the parts of the left assembly are also applied, with primes added, to the corresponding parts of the right wire clamping assembly. The actuating levers 33 and 34 for the right wire clamping assembly are rockably mounted on the same shaft 36 which mounts the actuating levers 33 and 34 of the left wire clamping assembly.

The actuating levers 33, 34 and 33, 34 are rocked on the shaft 36 in timed relation to each other by rotary cam means on a drive shaft 54 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and which will be explained more fully hereinbelow.

The Wire and Insulation Cutting Assembly wire clamping slides 24, 24 is guided for vertical up and down movement in the stationary bracket assembly 26 of the frame 21. Fixedly secured to the lower end of the slide 56 is a cutting blade assembly comprising a central wire stock severing blade 57 and two insulation cutting blades 58, 59 at opposite sides. respectively, of the severing blade 57. A complementary cutting blade assembly comprising a central wire stock severing blade 57 and insulation cutting blades 58', 59 is fixedly mounted on the frame 21 below the vertically reciprocable side 56. Each of the blades 57, 58, 59 and 57, 58, 59' is provided with a V-shaped notch having sharpened cutting edges as is well known in the art.

I Actuating means for the wire and insulation cutting assembly 3 comprise a triple armed lever 61 (FIG. 6) which is rockably supported on shaft 36 and link means of adjustable effective length connecting the lever 61 with the upper end of the cutting tool slide 56. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, such link means comprise a rod 62 and and associated rod end 63, a cylindrical swivel block 64 in a forked end portion of the lever 61, and a pivot pin 66 connecting the rod end 63 to the upper end of the cutting tool slide 56. The rod 62 is rotatable about its axis within the swivel block 64, and it is retained thereon against axial shifting by a shoulder 67 and a knurled knob 68 which is pinned to the upper end of the rod 62. The lower end of the rod 62 is screw threaded into the rod end 63 and locked against turning therein by a jam nut 69. Upon loosening of the jam nut the rod 62 may be turned manually by the knob 68 in order to lengthen or shorten the effective length of the link connection between the lever 61 and the cutting tool assembly 56, 57, 58.

The actuating lever 61 is rocked on the shaft 36 in timed relation to the actuating levers 33, 34 and 33, 34 for the wire clamping assemblies 1 and 2 by rotary cam means on the drive shaft 54 as shown in FIG. 6 and as will be explained more fully hereinbelow.

In order to remove waste pieces of insulation from the spaces between the stock severing and insulation cutting blades a suitable ejector mechanism may be provided which is not shown but is well known in the art.

The Terminal Crimping Assemblies The left terminal crimping assembly 4 (FIGS. 1 and 7) comprise a lower stationary die section, generally designated by the reference numeral 71, and an upper vertically reciproeable die section generally designated by the reference numeral 72. The lower die section 71 (FIG. 7) is detachably mounted on a bracket 73 of the frame 21 by means of a clamping block 74 and a wing nut 76, and the upper die section 72 (FIG. 7) is detach- ,ably connected by means of a heading 77 to the lower end of a vertically reciprocable tool slide 78. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the tool slide 78, like the wire clamping slide 24 and the cutting tool slide 56, is guided for vertical up and down movement in the stationary bracket assembly 26 of the frame 21.

Actuating means for the left terminal crimping assembly 4 (FIG. 1) comprises a triple armed lever 79 (FIG. 7) which is rockably supported on shaft 36, and link means of adjustable effective length connecting the lever 79 with the upper end of the crimping tool slide 78. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, such link means comprise a rod 81 and associated rod end 82, a cylindrical swivel block 83 in a forked end portion of the lever 79, and a pivot pin 84 connecting the rod end 82 to the upper end of the tool slide 78. The rod 81 is rotatable about its axis within the swivel block 83, and it is retained thereon against axial shifting by a shoulder 86 and a knurled knob 87 which is pinned to the upper end of the rod 81. The lower end of the rod 81 is screw threaded into the rod end 82 locked against turning therein by a jam nut 88. Upon loosening of thejam nut 88 the rod 81 may be turned manually by the knob 87 in order to lengthen or shorten the effective length of the link connection between the lever 79 and the crimping tool slide 78.

The actuating lever 79 for the crimping tool slide 78 is rocked in timed relation to the actuating levers 33, 34 and 33', 34' for the wire clamping assemblies 1 and 2 and the actuating lever 61 for the cutting tool assem bly 3 by rotary cam means on the driving shaft 54 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and as will be explained more fully hereinbelow.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, yieldable stop means are provided on the frame 21 in cooperative relation in the actuating lever 79 for the terminal crimping assembly 4, such stop means comprising a vertically reciprocable spring loaded plunger 80 below the overhanging radial arm 91 of the triple armed lever 79. The plunger 89 has an externally threaded portion which extends slideably through a smooth vertical bore ofa mounting block 92, and on which a knurled knob 93 is axially adjustable below the block 92. A coil spring 94 reacts between the block 92 and a collar 96 at the upper end of the plunger 89 to urge the knob 93 axially against the under side of the block 92. A set screw 97 on the block 92 projects into an axial groove 98 of the plunger 89 to keep the plunger from turning within the block 92. Back and forth rocking movement of the lever 79 about the axis of its supporting shaft 36 brings a Web 99 of the lever arm 91 into and out of engagement with the upper end of the plunger 89 as shown by FIGS. 7 and 8.

The right terminal crimping assembly 5 (FIG. 1) is an opposite hand duplicate of the left crimping die assembly 4, and the reference numerals which in FIGS. 2 and 3 are applied to the parts of the left terminal crimping assembly are also applied, with primes added, to the corresponding parts of the right terminal crimping assembly. The actuating levers 79, 79' for the left and right terminal crimping assemblies are coaxially mounted on the shaft 36 which also mounts the actuating levers 33, 34 and 33, 34 for the left and right wire clamping assemblies 1 and 2, and the actuating lever 61 for the wire and insulation cutting assembly 3.

A duplicate of the yieldable stop plunger assembly shown in FIG. 7a is provided for the right crimping tool actuating lever 79 (FIG. 2), and such duplicate assembly is mounted on the end of block 92 opposite to the end which carries the yieldable stop plunger assembly for the left crimping tool actuating lever 79.

As previously mentioned, the herein disclosed appa ratus for producing electrical conductors also includes a belt type drive mechanism 18 (FIG. 1) for a wire guide tube 17, and it also includes a finished conductor removal mechanism in the space between the right wire clamping assembly 2 and the right terminal crimping assembly 5. As will be explained more fully hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 13, a cam operated bell crank lever 101 for the belt type drive mechanism 18 is rockably mounted on the shaft 36, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the bell crank lever 101 is positioned be tween the triple armed actuating levers 33 and 34 for the left wire clamping assembly 1. As will further be explained hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 21, a cam operated bell crank lever 102 for the finished conductor removal mechanism is rockably mounted coaxially with the actuating levers 33, 101, 34, 79, 61, 79, 34 and 33 on the shaft 36, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bell crank lever 102 is positioned between the triple armed actuating lever 79 for the right terminal clamping assembly 5 and the triple armed actuating arms 34 for the right wire clamping assembly 2.

The Timing Cams The triple armed actuating lever 33 (FIG. 4) for the left wire clamping assembly 1 is rocked back and forth on the shaft 36 by a pair of conjugated cam discs 103 and 104 (FIG. 3) which are keyed to the drive shaft 54. Cam follower rollers 106 and 107 on radially diverging arms 108 and 109 of the actuating lever 33 are arranged to ride along the peripheries of the cam discs 103 and 104 while the shaft 54 rotates these cam discs through a full turn in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4.

The bell crank lever 101 (FIG. 13) for the tube drive mechanism 18 is rocked back and forth on the shaft 36 by a pair of conjugated cam discs 111 and 112 (FIG. 3) which are keyed to the drive shaft 54. Cam follower rollers 113 and 114 on the arms of the bell crank lever 101 are arranged to ride along the peripheries and the cam discs 111 and 112 as they are rotated by shaft 54 through a full turn in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 15.

The triple armed actuating lever 34 (FIG. 5) for the left wire clamping assembly 1 is rocked back and forth on the shaft 36 by a pair of conjugated cam discs 116 and 117 (FIG. 3) which are keyed to the shaft 54. Cam

follower rollers 118, 1 19 on radially diverging arms 121 and 122 (FIG. of the actuating lever 34 are arranged to ride along the peripheries of the cam discs 1 16, 1 17 as they are rotated by shaft 54 through a full turn to clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow A in FIG.

Back and forth rocking movement of the triple armed crimping die actuating lever 79 (FIG. 7) on the axis of the shaft 36 is controlled by a pair of conjugated cam discs 123 and 124 (FIG. 3) which are keyed to the drive shaft 54; by a pair of cam follower rollers 126 and 127 on arms 128 and 129 of the lever 79; by a coil spring 131 which is hooked at one end to the arm 128 of the lever 79 and which is anchored at its other end to a shelf portion 132 of the frame 21; and by the resilient stop plunger 89. The coil spring 131 tends to swing the lever 79 clockwise, as seen in FIG. 7, about the shaft 36, and this swinging tendency of the lever 79 is opposed by coaction of the roller 127 with the cam disc 123, and it is assisted by coaction of the roller 126 with the cam disc 124. The cam disc 123 is contoured so that its coaction with the roller 127 will take up the tension of the spring 131 during an initial turn of the shaft 54 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 7, and so that upon continued clockwise rotation of the shaft 54 the spring 131 may urge the web 99 on lever 79 into engagement with the stop plunger 89. When the web 99 of lever 79 engages the stop plunger 89 the crimping tool slide 78 will have moved downward to a position above the stationary crimping die section 71 which is determined by the axially adjusted position of the knob 93 (FIG. 7a) on the stop plunger 89. That is, when the knob 93 is positioned close to the lower end of the plunger 89 the tool slide 78 will be stopped at a relatively large distance above the stationary die section 71; and upward adjustment of the knob 93 on the plunger 89 reduces the height at which the slide 78 will be stopped above the stationary die section 71 when the web 99 of lever 79 engages the projected stop plunger 89.

After the projected stop plunger has been engaged by the web 99 of lever 79 the contracting tension of the coil spring 131 will be overbalanced by the expanding pressure of the coil spring 94 and, upon continued rotation of the cam disc 123 in the direction of arrow A, the peripheral edge of the cam disc 123 will recede from the roller 127 while clockwise swinging of the lever 79 is arrested by the stop plunger 89. As the cam disc 123 continues to rotate in the direction of arrow A, the peripheral edge of the cam disc 124 will engage the roller 126 on the arm 128 of lever 79 and force the lever 79 to swing downward against the pressure of the coil spring 94 as illustrated by FIG. 8. The cam disc 124 is contoured in such a manner that its coaction with the roller 126 during continued rotation of shaft 54 in the direction of arrow A Wlll lower the tool slide 78 to a position of maximum downward adjustment, and then let the cam disc 123 rock the lever 79 anticlockwise in opposition to the tension of the coil spring 131 and thereby restore the tool slide 78 to its fully raised position in which it is shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 9.

The upper die section 72 (FIG. 9) of the left terminal crimping assembly comprises a plunger 133 which is connected by the head lug 77 to the lower end of the tool slide 78, and a reciprocable spring loaded gate plate 134 which is mounted within the crimping plunger 133 for up and down sliding movement relative thereto. A terminal crimping cavity 136 is formed on a plate member 137 which is secured to the plunger 133 by cap. screws 138 (FIG. 9).

The lower die section 71 of the left terminal crimping assembly has a stationary upper portion 139 (FIG. 9) in which the crimping plunger 133 is guided for up and down movement in centered relation to a stationary crimping anvil 141 of the lower die section. A stationary gate plate 142 complementary to the reciprocable gate plate 134 is incorporated in the lower die section in vertical alignment with the gate plate 134 of the upper die section.

FIG. 9 shows the tool slide 78, the crimping plunger 133 and the gateplate 134 at their maximum vertical spacing from the lower die section 71, the same as in FIG. 7. Initial clockwise rotation of the cam discs 123 and 124, as explained hereinbefore, brings the web 99 of the crimping tool actuating lever 79 into engagement with the upwardly projected stop plunger 81. At the same time the reciprocable gate plate 134 is lowered into edgewise engagement with the stationary gate plate 142, as shown in FIG. 19. In that condition, a semi-conical recess 143 (FIG. 9) in the lower end of the reciprocable gate plate 134 and a complementary semi-conical recess 144 in the upper part of the stationary gate plate 142 cooperate to form a wire inlet funnel of the left terminal crimping assembly.

In FIG. 9 a closed barrel terminal 146 is shown seated on the crimping anvil 141 of the stationary lower die section 71. The downward movement of the tool slide 78 which brings the gate plate 134 into edgewise abutment with the gate plate 142 (FIG. 17) also lowers the crimping cavity 136 of the crimping plunger 133 upon the tubular portion 147 of the terminal 146. This condi tion is illustrated by FIG. 11 and engagement of the converging sides of the crimping cavity 136 centers the terminal on the anvil 141 without, however, distorting its tubular shape. While the terminal is held in place on the crimping anvil by the partly lowered crimping plunger the stripped end of a conductor wire, as will be explained more fully hereinbelow, is pushed into the barrel 147 of the terminal through the wire inlet tunnel formed by the semi-conical recesses 143, 144. Continued lowering of the tool slide 78 in opposition to the expanding pressure of the coil spring 94 (FIG. 7a) as illustrated in FIG. 8 then performs the actual crimping operation as illustrated by FIG. 11a.

Conventional mechanism, not shown, is provided to place closed barrel terminals successively upon the crimping anvil 141 after each lifting stroke of the crimping plunger 133. Such terminals may vary in size, depending upon the size of the wire to which they are to be attached. The initial downstroke of the plunger 133 which lowers the crimping cavity 136 upon the barrel of the terminal may be adjusted by means of the knob 93 (FIG. 7a) as necessary to bring the crimping cavity 136 into centering, non-crimping engagement with terminal barrels of different diameters. To accommodate terminals of relatively large barrel diameters the knob 93 will have to be adjusted downward on the stop plunger 89, and if the terminals have a relatively small barrel diameter the knob 93 will have to be adjusted upward on the plunger 89.

In addition to adjusting the projected position of the stop plunger 89 by means of the knob 93, the effective length of the link connection between the actuating lever 79 and the tool slide 78 may be adjusted, as has 

1. An apparatus for producing electrical conductors from insulated wire stock, comprising a frame; a pair of wire clamping assemblies operatively mounted on said frame for relative back and forth adjustment between positions of minimum, intermediate and maximum spacing from each other; a wire and insulation cutting assembly and a pair of terminal crimpiNg assemblies at opposite sides thereof operatively mounted on said frame between said wire clamping assemblies; three stage actuating means operable to adjust said clamping assemblies to said minimum, intermediate and maximum spacings from each other; and actuating means for said cutting and crimping assemblies operatively interrelated with said actuating means for said clamping assemblies, whereby relatively adjacent end portions of a wire severed by said cutting assembly are stripped and pulled away from the latter beyond said crimping assemblies and whereby said stripped wire ends are subsequently pushed back into said crimping assemblies, respectively, preparatory to the attachment of terminals to said stripped wire ends by said crimping assemblies.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said crimping assemblies each comprise a pair of relatively movable die members, and wherein said actuating means for said crimping assemblies are operatively interrelated with said actuating means for said cutting and clamping assemblies so that said die members are moved to an initial engaging position preparatory to said push movement of said stripped wire ends into said crimping assemblies, and so that said die members are subsequently moved sequentially into terminal crimping and terminal releasing positions.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising wire transfer means operatively mounted on said frame at one side of said cutting assembly for engagement with and disengagement with a wire length cut from stock by operation of said cutting assembly and provided with at least one terminal by operation of one of said crimping assemblies, and actuating means for said wire transfer means operatively interrelated with said actuating means for said clamping, cutting and crimping assemblies so that during wire shifting movement of said clamping assemblies from said positions of maximum spacing to said positions of intermediate spacing from each other said transfer means are disengaged from said cut wire length, and so that during wire shifting movement of said transfer means said clamping assemblies are moved in wire releasing condition from said positions of intermediate spacing to said positions of minimum spacing from each other.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 and further comprising a stationary bracket structure on said frame presenting an elongated gap extending in the direction of sidewise movement of said wire length and in straddling relation thereto.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 and further comprising pivot means supporting said bracket structure for swinging movement into and out of an operative position in which successively transferred wire lengths may be collected within said gap, and releasable lock means for securing said bracket structure in said operative position.
 6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuating means for said clamping assemblies, for said wire and insulation cutting assembly, and for said crimping assemblies comprise a series of independently rockable actuating levers mounted on said frame in axially aligned relation to each other; link means operatively connecting said levers, respectively, with said clamping, cutting and crimping assemblies; and rotary cam means mounted on said frame in cooperative relation to said actuating levers for rocking said actuating levers in timed relation to each other.
 7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the link means interconnecting said cutting assembly and its respective actuating lever comprise a link element of adjustable effective length.
 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the link means interconnecting said crimping assemblies and their respective actuating levers each comprise a link element of adjustable effective length.
 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 and further comprising yieldable stop means on said frame in cooperative relation to the actuating levers for said crimpiNg assemblies, and spring means tending to urge said actuating levers for said crimping assemblies into engagement with said stop means.
 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said yieldable stop means comprise a pair of plungers reciprocably mounted on said frame and each having an axially adjustable abutment cooperable with said frame so as to determine a variable limit position of each of said plungers, and resilient means urging said plungers into said limit positions.
 11. An apparatus for producing electrical conductors from insulated wire stock comprising a frame including an elongated, horizontally extending stationary bracket structure; a pair of vertically reciprocable tool supports slidably mounted independently of each other on opposite end portions, respectively, of said bracket structure; a vertically reciprocable wire and insulating cutting assembly and a pair of vertically reciprocable terminal crimping assemblies at opposite sides thereof slidably mounted on said bracket structure between said tool supports; a pair of complementary wire clamping blocks shiftably connected with each of said tool supports in back and forth movable relation to said cutting assembly; actuating levers for said tool supports, for said cutting and crimping assemblies and for said clamping tools rockably mounted on said frame in axially aligned relation to each other; link means operatively connecting said levers, respectively, with said tool supports, with said cutting and crimping assemblies and with said clamping tools; and rotary cam means mounted on said frame in cooperative relation to said actuating levers for rocking the latter in timed relation to each other.
 12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the link means interconnecting said tool supports and their respective actuating levers each comprise a pair of telescopically interconnected link elements and associated biasing means resiliently opposing contraction of said link elements.
 13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the link means interconnecting said wire clamping blocks with their respective actuating levers each comprise a bell crank lever pivoted on said frame, a first link element connecting one end of said bell crank lever with the associated actuating lever, and a second link element connecting the other end of said bell crank lever with the associated wire clamping tool.
 14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 and further comprising adjusting means for said first link element whereby the latter may be connected to its associated actuating lever at different radial distances from the pivot center thereof.
 15. In an apparatus for producing electrical conductors by successively cutting desired lengths of insulated wire from stock and removing portions of insulation therefrom, the combination of a wire feed roller assembly; an axially reciprocable wire guide tube in cooperative relation with wire discharged by said feed roller assembly; and stationary brush means adapted to straddle and laterally steady wire being fed into said feed roller assembly.
 16. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein said brush means are located in the path of axial movement of said guide tube so that axial movement of the latter toward and away from said feed roller assembly will bring said guide tube into and out of cooperative engagement with said brush means. 